Dolly



Nov. 1, 1960 Filed March 25, 1958 E. W. MUNHARVEY DOLLY 2 SheetsSheet 1I 36 INVENTOR.

Eznesr W. Mun HARVEY A 7' Tax/Vera Nov. 1, 1960 E. w. MUNHARVEY DOLLY 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 25, 1958 PIG-.5

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INVENTQR. ErzuEs-r W. Muunnavew United States Patent DOLLY Ernest W.Munharvey, Massena, N.Y. (R.F.D., North Lawrence, N .Y.)

Filed Mar. 25, 1958, Ser. No. 723,697

2 Claims. (Cl. 280-473) This invention relates to dollies, that is,wheeled support means for objects, adapted to move said objects shortdistances while the same are being loaded, unloaded, or moved from onelocation to another within a warehouse.

The main object of the present invention is to provide a generallyimproved dolly that will be characterized by its particular strength,its relatively low height, its unusually effective balance, and itsadaptability for manufacture at a comparatively low cost, consideringthe ruggedness and great strength thereof.

Another object is to provide a dolly or truck that will be comprised inlarge part of readily obtainable, basically conventional pieces ofstock, such as heavy metal channels, etc.

Other objects will appear from the following description, the claimsappended thereto, and from the annexed drawings, in which like referencecharacters designate like parts throughout the several views, andwherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a dolly according to the presentinvention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view thereof;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view substantially on line 33 ofFigure 1;

Figure 4 is a horizontal section through the device, approximately online 4+4 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view substantially on line 6-6 ofFigure 1; and

Figure 7 is a sectional view substantially on line 7-7 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the dolly 10 constituting thepresent invention includes a rectangular frame having a front crossmember 12, a rear cross member 14, and side members 16. All of these areformed of heavy channel material, with the channels opening in adirection outwardly of the frame. The corners are square, with the frontand rear cross members being inside :the side members. The abuttingsurfaces of the several members are Welded together as at 18.

A center plate 20 of rectangular configuration fills the center openingof the rectangular frame, and is coplanar with the top, horizontal wallsof the several channels (see Figure 5). The center plate 20 is weldedthroughout its periphery to the inner edges of the several channels.

This defines a rectangular frame the marginal portion of which, is, ineffect, a continuous, outwardly facing channel with a center portionopening downwardly and having a bottom recess defined by the inner wallsof the several channels and the plate 20, said recess being designatedat 21 in Figure 5.

Mounted upon the bottom walls of the side members 16, adjacent the rearends thereof, are transversely aligned bearings 22, having ball bearings24 therein receiving the reduced tmnnions 26 of a core 27 on which isfixedly secured a roller 28 extending across the greatest part ofPatented Nov. 1, 1960 the width of the recess 21. Bronze bushings may beused instead of ball bearings.

The roller is disposed adjacent the back wall of recess 21 as will benoted from Figure 4 and it has been found that this provides a desirablebalancing action that particularly facilitates the balanced support ofheavy objects that are being moved.

At 30 there are designated transversely aligned shoes that have upwardlyextending projections at their front ends, said shoes being welded tothe undersides of the side members 16. The shoes prevent the corners ofthe frame from digging into the floor surface.

Medially between the opposite sides of the device there are collars 32which are spaced closely apart for extension of a draw bar 34therebetween, said draw bar having an opening, the collars being securedto a shaft 36 extending through said opening.

Forwardly convergent arms 38 cooperate with the draw bar in defining ayoke for pulling the dolly, said arms, at their rear, divergent ends,having openings receiving the ends of the shaft 36. Shaft 36 comprism anelongated bolt having a head at one end, with a nut 40 being threadedupon the other end of the bolt.

At their convergent, forward ends, arms 38 extend in contact with theforward end of the tongue 34, and registering openings are provided inthe tongue and arms, receiving a cross pin 46 on which is threaded a nut48. A clevis 44 has openings receiving the pin, to pivot the clevis onthe front end of the yoke.

In use of the device, it can be tilted slightly to permit a heavy objectto be moved onto the same. The device, despite its great strength, isexceedingly low, so that the objects need not be lifted other than to avery minor extent.

Once the object is upon the device, it can be readily moved from placeto place, and the device can of course be drawn either manually orperhaps by a tractor, industrial truck, etc.

In any event, the device is so formed that it provides a flat,rectangular, load-supporting surface, with all bearings, rollers, handlemeans, etc., being disposed below said surface in such a manner thatthey can not possibly interfere with the object being moved.

The device, further, has the adaptability of being manufactured fromreadily obtainable components, and it will be understood that in acommercial embodiment, the formation of various components of the devicemay be varied somewhat. For example, the yoke may be formed differentlythan as shown.

It is also important to note that the shaft 36 is engaged in sidebearing plates 50 (see Figure 6) extending between the top and bottomwalls of the side members 16 at the forward ends of the side members.Plates 50 may extend, also, across the weld seams 18 if desired.

For moving heavy loads, as for example, objects having long rectangulardimensions, one could use two dollies fastened together by two roundrods of possibly /2 inch or inch diameter.

With further reference to the above mentioned tilting of the device, itis to be noted that there is specifically, clearly shown in Figure 3 thecharacteristic of the invention that facilitates said tilting by aparticular form and relative arrangement of the front end of the frame,drawbar 34, shaft 36, and bearing plates 5t As will be seen from Figure3, the forward edge of the top wall of the peripheral channel of theframe is spaced forwardly from the pivot axis of the vertically swingingdrawbar 34. Said pivot axis is defined by the shaft 36, journaled invertical bearing plates 50 connected between the top and bottom walls ofthe channel. By reason of this arrangement, on upward swinging of thedrawbar 34, said drawbar will ultimately engage the forward edge of thementioned top wall, at a location spaced forwardly from the pivot axisof the drawbar along the length of the 'drawbar. Continued upward.swinging movement of the .drawbar will, .as a result, impart a force inan upward direction against the front end .o'fthe frame, tending :totilt the frame longitudinally .so that the frame swings upwardly at itsfront end. The frame swings, .in these circumstances, .about :the axis:defined by the trunnions '26. The trunnions are located adjacent therear end of the frame, facilitating the tilting operation. ,Not onlydoes this aid in sliding a supported object rearwardly off the frameduring unloading of the device, but also, the arrangement aids intilting the frame to facilitate loading of objects thereonto. Stillfurther, the arrangement allows easy swinging of the frame to a .fullvertical position, for storage with other dollies against a'verticalwall when not in use.

.It is believed apparent that the invention is not necessarily confinedto the specific use or uses thereof described above, since it may beutilized for any urpose to which it may be suited. Nor is the inventionto be necessarily limited to the specific construction illustrated anddescribed, since such construction is only intended to be illustrativeof the principles, it being considered that the invention comprehendsany minor change in construction that may be permitted within the scopeof the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A dolly comprising a frame having outwardly opening longitudinalchannel side members having vertical webs and horizontal upper and lowerflanges, said frame having a forwardly opening channel front crossmernher having horizontal upper and lower flanges, a transverse axlespaced removably from said cross member and extending between the websof the side members, said axle having reduced trunnions on the ends,said Webs having transversely aligned openings, bearings fixed upon thelower flanges of the side members, said trunnions extending through theopenings and being journaled in the bearings, an enlarged diameterground-engaging roller securably circumposed on the axle and extendingbelow the frame, and a handle assembly secured to and extendingforwardly from said cross member, groundengaging shoes fixed to theunderside of the lower flange of the front cross member and extendingforwardly from the cross member, said handle assembly comprising atransverse shaft located between the upper and lower flanges andforwardly of the web of said front cross member, means fixing said shaftin place, spaced collars on a midlength point of said shaft, alongitudinal center bar journaled at its rear end on the shaft betweenthe collars, and a handle loop pivoted on the center bar at the forwardend thereof.

2. A dolly comprising a frame having outwardly opening longitudinalchannel side members having vertical webs and horizontal upper and lowerflanges, said frame having a forwardly opening channel front crossmember ,having horizontal upper and lower flanges, a transverse axlespaced removably from said cross member and extending between the webs.of the side members, said axle having reduced trunnions on the ends,said webs having transversely aligned openings, bearings fixed upon thelower flanges of the side members, said trunnions extending through theopenings and being journaled in the bearings, an enlarged diametergroundengaging roller securably circumposed on the axle and extendingbelow the frame, and a handle assembly secured to and extendingforwardly from said cross member, ground-engaging shoes fixed to theunderside of the lower flange of the front cross member and extendingforwardly from the cross member, said handle assembly comprising atransverse shaft located between the upper and lower flanges andforwardly of the web of said front cross member, means fixing said shaftin place, spaced collars on a midlength point of said shaft, alongitudinal center bar journaled at its rear end on the shaft betweenthe collars, and a handle loop pivoted on the .center bar at the forwardend thereof, said .handle assembly further comprising rearwardlydivergent longitudinal side bars located at opposite sides of the centerbar, :said side bars having rear ends securably journaled on said shaftat the ends of the shaft, said side bars having forward ends engagedwith the center bar.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,293,699 Cannon Feb. 11, '1919 1,432,296 Mosel Oct. 17, 1922 1,728,436Morrison Sept. 17, 1929 1,828,248 Hallowell et al. Oct. 20, 19312,389,584 Acker Nov. 27, 1945 2,397,315 Harris Mar. 26, 1946 2,560,928Bockius July 17, 1951 2,699,953 C-haddick Jan. 18, 1955 2,744,763 CarterMay 8, 1956

